Department for Transport

East Coast Rail Franchise

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government which of the lines and stations used by services included in the East Coast franchise will be included in the proposed partnership arrangement between Network Rail and the operator from 2020, and which will be excluded.

baroness sugg: The Department for Transport is currently considering the size and shape of the East Coast Partnership as we do prior to all our competitions for rail passenger services. Further details about the new East Coast Partnership will be set out in the coming months.

East Coast Railway Line

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in relation to the East Coast partnership arrangement that is proposed to be set up from 2020, what proportion of the current paths are allocated to each of the train operating companies including the open access services and the freight operators, by (1) the number of services, and (2) the number of route miles.

baroness sugg: It should be noted there is a well-defined, and regulated process for the allocation of train paths and the introduction of the East Coast Partnership from 2020 will be independent from this.Currently, allocation on the East Coast Mainline is as follows:Franchised Operators out of King’s CrossTrains per HourGTR10VTEC5Open Access Operators out of King’s Cross Grand Central0.5Hull Trains0.5Freight Operators on ECML1Franchised Operators between Doncaster and Edinburgh CrossCountry1.5TPE2 The Department for Transport does not hold information on route miles per operator.

East Coast Rail Franchise

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether officials prepared any estimates for the Secretary of State for Transport of the value transferred, or to be transferred,to the franchisees of the East Coast rail franchise as a result of terminating that franchise; and if so, when.

baroness sugg: The Department for Transport is preparing contingency plans as we do not believe that the franchise will be financially viable through to 2020. The Secretary of State has a clear duty to do that for passengers. The Department is in discussions to ensure the needs of passengers and taxpayers are being met in the short term whilst laying the foundations to bring forward the reforms under a future long-term competitively procured contract. When a conclusion to that work is reached, the Secretary of State will make a statement in the House as he undertook to do on 10 January.

Driving Tests

lord mawson: To ask Her Majesty's Government, for each of the last five years, what percentage of those taking the DVLA theory test have sat that test more than three times.

baroness sugg: The following data shows the percentage of Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) learners who took their theory test more than three times in the last five years: YearCategoryDelivery VolumeMore than 3 attempts% taking more than 3 attempts2013Bike501753830.76%2013Car1441604792015.49%2013CAR-ABRIDGED1915.26%2013LGV-CPC171906853.98%2013LGV-CPC-Conversion12653.97%2013LGV-HPT289995341.84%2013LGV-MC315869663.06%2013PCV-CPC7478101113.52%2013PCV-CPC-Conversion7922.53%2013PCV-HPT75181451.93%2013PCV-MC80441922.39% YearCategoryDelivery VolumeMore than 3 attempts% taking more than 3 attempts2014Bike606005730.95%2014Car1663153967295.82%2014CAR-ABRIDGED26519.23%2014LGV-CPC2457410044.09%2014LGV-CPC-Conversion234229.40%2014LGV-HPT334026191.85%2014LGV-MC3787112833.39%2014PCV-CPC668389613.41%2014PCV-CPC-Conversion1061816.98%2014PCV-HPT76401521.99%2014PCV-MC83552492.98% YearCategoryDelivery VolumeMore than 3 attempts% taking more than 3 attempts2015Bike698886900.99%2015Car18479681150826.23%2015CAR-ABRIDGED3013.33%2015LGV-CPC3171511123.51%2015LGV-CPC-Conversion411399.49%2015LGV-HPT464716231.34%2015LGV-MC5167719093.69%2015PCV-CPC673377611.53%2015PCV-CPC-Conversion11432.63%2015PCV-HPT81021351.67%2015PCV-MC88512622.96% YearCategoryDelivery VolumeMore than 3 attempts% taking more than 3 attempts2016Bike740549501.28%2016Car19552411424177.28%2016CAR-ABRIDGED3825.26%2016LGV-CPC3526112883.65%2016LGV-CPC-Conversion7178211.44%2016LGV-HPT465846191.33%2016LGV-MC5426622824.21%2016PCV-CPC67286659.88%2016PCV-CPC-Conversion15585.16%2016PCV-HPT7789861.10%2016PCV-MC89823003.34% YearCategoryDelivery VolumeMore than 3 attempts% taking more than 3 attempts2017Bike724819241.27%2017Car19155561435687.49%2017CAR-ABRIDGED4037.50%2017LGV-CPC3515814474.12%2017LGV-CPC-Conversion107814613.54%2017LGV-HPT435054681.08%2017LGV-MC5289922454.24%2017PCV-CPC614062910.24%2017PCV-CPC-Conversion15363.92%2017PCV-HPT6821741.08%2017PCV-MC83883263.89%

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Parental Leave

baroness lister of burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer byLord Henley on 9 January (HL Deb, cols 109–110), when they expect to complete the evaluation of shared parental leave; and whether they will invite stakeholders, including interested voluntary organisations, to submit evidence to the evaluation.

lord henley: We have started to evaluate the Shared Parental Leave and Pay schemes and will gather and analyse information from a wide variety of sources. Subject to the progress of data collection, we anticipate publishing findings in spring 2019.

Energy: UK Trade with EU

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made regarding the impact of Brexit on energy trading with Europe.

lord henley: The Government is currently considering all aspects of its future relationship with the EU, including in energy. Our priority is to maintain affordable, clean and secure energy supplies for businesses and households.We are undertaking a comprehensive programme of analytical work across a range of scenarios. This work is ongoing. However, we have been clear that we must not publish material that could expose the UK in the negotiations.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Egypt: Capital Punishment

lord ahmed: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the rise of death sentences and executions being used to combat alleged terrorism in Egypt.

lord ahmed: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether theyintend to make representations to the government of Egypt that there should be a moratorium on all death sentences in Egypt, especially in cases where confessions have been obtained through torture.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The executions of 15 men on 26 December 2017 and four men on 2 January 2018 in Egypt are deeply concerning. It is a longstanding policy of the British Government to oppose the death penalty, in all circumstances, as a matter of principle. We continue to raise our human rights concerns with the Egyptian authorities and we encourage Egypt to restrict the application of the death penalty in line with the minimum standards set out in the EU Guidelines on the Death Penalty of 2008 and the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the Arab Charter on Human Rights.

Egypt: Human Rights

lord ahmed: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made any recent representations to the government of Egypt regarding human rights and rule of law.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Government wants to see more political freedoms and better protection of human rights in Egypt. The Foreign Secretary and the Minister for the Middle East and North Africa have consistently raised this with our Egyptian counterparts. Mr Burt raised our human rights concerns, including those relating to media freedoms and restrictions on civil society, with Foreign Minister Shoukry and Interior Minister Ghaffar, during his visit to Egypt in August 2017. The Foreign Secretary last discussed human rights with Foreign Minister Shoukry in October 2017, when he raised the case of detained human rights lawyer Ibrahim Metwally. The Foreign Secretary also emphasised the importance of a free and open society when he met President Sisi during his visit to Cairo in February 2017. Egypt is an FCO Human Rights Priority Country and the UK regularly raises concerns about human rights in Egypt at the UN’s Human Rights Council.

Ethiopia: Overseas Aid

lord ahmed: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of UK funding being spent on masters of science degrees for security officials in Ethiopia.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Through the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF), the British Government funds an MSc in Security Sector Management run in Ethiopia by Cranfield University. The MSc is designed to support regional capacity in Peace Support Operations activity and is attended by students from across the region, including six (of 28) Ethiopians. This programme began in 2017 and the first Annual Review will be conducted in April, in line with standard timings for CSSF programmes.

Jerusalem

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government, furtherto the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 21 December (HL4170), what action they intend to take to protect the rights of Palestinians in East Jerusalem.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Government will continue to make clear our serious concerns about the situation in East Jerusalem to the Israeli authorities and the Municipality of Jerusalem. The UK also supports the rights of Palestinian communities in East Jerusalem facing demolition or eviction through our funding to the Norwegian Refugee Council legal aid programme. This helps residents to challenge decisions in the Israeli legal system. We also remain deeply concerned about restrictions on freedom of movement to and from East Jerusalem. Through our Embassy in Tel Aviv we have lobbied the appropriate authorities on the issue of movement and access and continue to call on Israel to ease restrictions on access.

Israel: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Israel concerning reports that Israeli and Palestinian children are being treated differently by the Israeli criminal justice system.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We regularly raise concerns about the treatment of Palestinian minors in detention. In December 2017, our Ambassador to Tel Aviv raised with the Israeli Justice Minister the issue of Palestinian children in detention. The Minister for the Middle East most recently raised our concerns with the Israeli authorities during his visit to Israel in August 2017.

Department for International Development

East Africa: Overseas Aid

lord ahmed: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the breakdown of financial support for (1) Ethiopia, (2) Sudan, and (3) Somalia, in the past three years.

lord bates: The amount of direct bilateral Official Development Assistance (ODA) the UK has provided in the last three years is set out in the table below:Table: UK bilateral ODA to Ethiopia, Sudan and Somalia 1£ million. 201420152016Ethiopia322339334Sudan505565Somalia1241221521. All figures rounded to the nearest millionSource: Statistics on International Development 2017ODA is a measure of official resource flows (aid) to developing countries that promotes the economic benefit and welfare of developing countries as the main objective.

Southern Africa: Overseas Aid

lord german: To ask Her Majesty's Government which aid programmes they have supported in (1) Swaziland, (2) Botswana, and (3) Lesotho, since May 2015.

lord bates: The UK provided £5.7million of bilateral Official Development Assistance (ODA) to Lesotho in 2016. DFID provided £4.8 million of this total in drought response through the United Nations Humanitarian appeal for assistance for food security, access to water, and recovery of livelihoods and the contribution helped to provide targeted assistance to 375,000 people affect by the drought. UK bilateral ODA to Botswana and Swaziland in 2016 supported education programmes funded through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The table below shows the amount of UK bilateral ODA that was received by Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland between 2015 and 2016. Millions £20152016Botswana1.10.3Lesotho0.45.7Swaziland0.20.0Source: Statistics on International Development (SID) 2017 (see below)Full details on all the projects supported in these countries can be found on gov.uk website.

Overseas Aid

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they assess the return on investment to the British economy from foreign aid spending.

lord bates: Aid is squarely in the UK national interest. Developing countries will be major markets and important trading partners for the UK in the future. Our support will promote trade, investment and stability, in addition to the development impact on the lives of the poorest.

Department for Education

Apprentices

lord aberdare: To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures they are taking to increase (1) the availability, and (2) the take-up, of part-time apprenticeships.

lord aberdare: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they intend to consult with employers and other stakeholders regarding the flexibility that apprenticeship levy payers have in spending their apprenticeship vouchers.

lord agnew of oulton: In May 2017 we amended apprenticeships funding rules (attached) to allow more flexibility in working arrangements. The new rules place emphasis on ensuring apprentices have enough hours in their working week to undertake sufficient and regular training and on-the-job activity, rather than being overly prescriptive on the number of hours apprentices must work. If the circumstances for a particular learner mean they are unable to undertake an apprenticeship in full-time hours (30 hours or more per week), the employer and training provider can structure the apprenticeship with fewer weekly hours and a longer overall duration to ensure all of the necessary training and assessment can be carried out.The department is undertaking a range of ongoing communications and engagement activity to encourage the take-up of apprenticeships. A new phase of our communications campaign starts in early 2018 to encourage employers to offer high quality apprenticeship opportunities and to promote these to potential apprentices. This will build on the National Apprenticeship Service’s ongoing engagement and communications activity to increase awareness and promote benefits of apprenticeships among employers and learners.The government will continue to work with employers to ensure that the apprenticeships funding system meets employers’ skills needs.We meet regularly with employers and providers to get feedback on the new funding system, introduced in May 2017, including through the Apprenticeships Stakeholder Board.  



Apprenticeship funding: rules and guidance for emp
(PDF Document, 290.57 KB)

Apprentices: Taxation

lord aberdare: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to review the current cap of 10 per cent on the proportion of apprenticeship levy funds that can be transferred by levy-paying employers to other employers; and if so, when the results of such a review will be published.

lord agnew of oulton: This planned change has come about through listening to employers concerns about increased flexibility in this area. We want to introduce transfers in a gradual and well-managed way, allowing levy payers to benefit from added flexibility whilst protecting the integrity and affordability of the programme and the interests of non-levied employers. We will carefully monitor the implementation of transfers after April 2018, including how the 10% limit is working.

Church Schools: Catholicism

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Agnew of Oulton on 6 December 2017 (HL3948), what is their assessment of the value of Catholic schools.

lord agnew of oulton: There are 1,967 state funded Catholic schools in England.They are more likely to be rated good or outstanding by Ofsted than other schools and achieve consistently higher exam results than the national average.The Catholic Church has been providing education in England since 1847 and the government recognises the enormous contribution the Catholic Church has provided over the last 170 years.

Faith Schools: Admissions

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Agnew of Oulton on 20 December 2017 (HL3949), what evidence they have, if any, of why some Muslim parents send their children to Catholic, or other faith, schools.

lord agnew of oulton: The department does not collect data about the preferences of parents from particular faiths in relation to the choice of school for their children. Catholic schools are often popular with parents and over-subscribed and it is likely that this may result in interest from Muslim parents as well as those from other faiths and no faith.

Ministry of Justice

Community Orders

lord laming: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many community sentences were handed down in each year from 2008 to 2016; and what action they are taking in response to reported reductions in the number of such sentences handed down.

lord keen of elie: The number of community sentences handed down in each year from 2008 to 2016 can be viewed in the attached table and also on the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/614418/cjs-outcomes-by-offence-tool-2016.xlsx Our data shows that between 2008 and 2016, the number of community orders issued fell by 46%. The fall in number of defendants appearing before court and changes in the mix of offences coming to court are key factors in overall decreased numbers of community sentences. The sentencing framework already gives courts the flexibility to select community order requirements which are a robust alternative to custody, and are tailored to address the specific issues that contribute to reoffending. We are committed to ensuring that community penalties are tough, effective and command the confidence of sentencers. Total number of community sentences handed down in each year, England and Wales, 2008 - 2016 (1)(2)Total community sentences200820092010201120122013201420152016 190,172195,977189,333177,603151,183126,535112,638114,286102,938   (1) The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.  (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services - Ministry of Justice. Ref: HL4476

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

High Rise Flats: Fire Extinguishers

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the commitment by Westminster City Council to retrofit sprinklers in all of their blocks of flats over 30 metres in height.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Sprinklers can be an effective fire safety measure but they are one of many such measures that can be adopted. It is for building owners to decide whether to fit sprinklers, on the basis of their assessment of the risk. Government advice is clear; for new blocks of flats over 30 metres in height the statutory guidance states that sprinklers should be fitted. For existing buildings it is a decision for the building owner whether to retro-fit sprinklers as part of a whole fire-safety strategy for the building, based on expert advice and taking into account of other fire safety measures present.

Homelessness

lord farmer: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer byLord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 9 January (HL Deb, col 113), which projects funded by the Fair Chance Fund have been successful in reducing family and relationship breakdown.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The £15 million Fair Chance Fund (FCF) was an innovative three year programme designed to improve accommodation, education and employment outcomes for homeless young people aged 18 - 24, who did not have priority need under the homelessness legislation but had a range of support needs which presented barriers to securing and sustaining, accommodation and getting on in life.Many of the participants had multiple needs, often resulting in on-going problems and issues. This included a history of family and relationship breakdown, alongside other vulnerabilities. The causes of homelessness can be multiple and complex. Where family and/or relationship breakdown is present, it is often just one part of the wider picture. That is why the FCF key workers in all 7 areas worked intensely with the young people by offering tailored support to meet their needs.Two interim evaluations of the FCF were published last year [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fair-chance-fund-evaluation-interim-reports], and the final evaluation will be published later this year. Findings are being used to inform future policy work on supporting young people experiencing homelessness and on the use of social investment.



Fair Chance Fund
(PDF Document, 2.46 MB)




Fair Chance Fund Year two report
(PDF Document, 929.93 KB)

Councillors: Council Tax

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their guidance to council tax payers in caseswhere a monitoring officer has not intervened when councillors who have not paid their own council tax take part in thecouncil'sannual budget meeting.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: If a local resident has a concern with the actions of their local monitoring officer, they should use the council’s formal complaints process, so that the council becomes aware of the problem and can take appropriate action. Councils are independent and responsible for their own staff management and disciplinary procedures.

Department for Work and Pensions

Social Security Benefits

the lord bishop of durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many families with three or more children have been affected by the benefit cap in each month since April 2017; how many children were included in each affected family; how many families were (1) lone parent families or (2) two-parent families; and how many of those families had one or more parents in work.

baroness buscombe: The table below shows the number of households with three or more children that had their Housing Benefit capped at each month since April 2017 by family type and number of children, for lone parent families and two-parent families. The information requested on the number of families with three or more children that have been affected by the benefit cap in each month since April 2017 with one or more parents in work is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost. Households receiving Universal Credit with earning of £520 a month and households receiving Working Tax Credit are exempt from the benefit cap. At August 2017 38,795 households that had previously had their Housing Benefit capped and were no longer capped had an open Working Tax Credit claim, indicating that they had moved into work.   Number of households with three or more children that had their Housing Benefit capped at each month since April 2017 by family type and number of childrenApril 2017Family TypeCouple with child dependant(s)Single with child dependant(s)Total-Number of Children-3 dependants5,98721,34927,335-4 dependants3,61411,75215,368-5 dependants1,5433,4635,008-More than 5 dependants6391,0241,663-Total11,78937,59249,378May 2017Family TypeCouple with child dependant(s)Single with child dependant(s)Total-Number of Children-3 dependants6,25121,53927,793-4 dependants3,74212,10015,840-5 dependants1,5903,5505,142-More than 5 dependants6771,0451,721-Total12,25538,23850,501June 2017Family TypeCouple with child dependant(s)Single with child dependant(s)Total-Number of Children-3 dependants6,23321,95828,192-4 dependants3,70412,06815,773-5 dependants1,6073,5955,198-More than 5 dependants6811,0581,739-Total12,22438,67650,898July 2017Family TypeCouple with child dependant(s)Single with child dependant(s)Total-Number of Children-3 dependants6,14922,46628,610-4 dependants3,57512,04515,628-5 dependants1,5813,5295,108-More than 5 dependants6511,0431,693-Total11,95939,08651,046August 2017Family TypeCouple with child dependant(s)Single with child dependant(s)Total-Number of Children-3 dependants5,94822,43928,384-4 dependants3,52211,84815,370-5 dependants1,5723,4725,043-More than 5 dependants6391,0511,697-Total11,67738,81250,485-INFOStatistical disclosure control has been applied to these tables to avoid the release of confidential data. Totals may not sum due to the disclosure control applied.Source: Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit

baroness lister of burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Buscombe on 20 December 2017 (HL4048), what have been the annual funding levels per capita per universal credit claimant for delivery of universal support for each year since 2013–14 at constant prices.

baroness buscombe: The per capita payment for Universal Support has remained unchanged since 2013/14 and is £25.66 per hour. The allocated time for each claimant varies as follows: Support OfferedRate per hourTime AllocatedPayment per ClaimantAssisted Digital Support Live Service£25.6660mins£25.66Assisted Digital Support Full Service£25.6660mins£25.66Personal Budgeting Support Live Service£25.66120mins£51.32Personal Budgeting Support Full Service£25.66120mins£51.32

Work Capability Assessment

baroness thomas of winchester: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progressthey have madeon meeting their targets on work capability assessments for disabled people.

baroness buscombe: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) decision makers have no targets that relate to the number of people placed in the Support Group, Work Related Activity Group or found fit for work following a work capability assessment. The current contractual agreement between the DWP and the Centre for Health and Disability Assessments contains numerous performance targets including throughput, claimant service and work capability assessment report quality, which also contain automatic financial remedies where there is service level failure. There are no targets specifying that certain numbers of people should be allowed or disallowed benefit. The contractual performance of Centre for Health and Disability Assessments is monitored closely by the DWP. Since Centre for Health and Disability Assessments took on the contract, we have halved work capability assessment waiting times, down from 32 weeks in August 2014 to 16 weeks in March 2017.

Work Capability Assessment

baroness thomas of winchester: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the recruitment of healthcare professionals by third party providers is sufficient to meet the current volume of work capability assessments for disabled people; and what are the minimum qualifications being sought as part of the recruitment process.

baroness buscombe: Since the commencement of the Health and Disability Assessment Service contract in March 2015 the supplier, Centre for Health and Disability Assessments (CHDA), has increased its number of Healthcare Professionals by over 60%. As a result, CHDA are on course to deliver the contractual volumes for work capability assessments. All Healthcare Professionals who undertake work capability assessments are registered healthcare professionals, doctors, nurses, physiotherapists or occupational therapists, with a minimum of two years broad - based post registration experience.

Work Capability Assessment

baroness thomas of winchester: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the quality of Work Capability Assessment assessors.

baroness buscombe: All Healthcare Professionals undertaking Work Capability Assessments are highly-trained practitioners in their own field. They must be registered practitioners who have at least two years post-registration experience. They are subject to a rigorous recruitment process followed by a comprehensive training programme in disability assessment. We are committed to ensuring claimants receive high quality, fair and accurate assessments. All Healthcare Professionals are subject to on-going quality audit to ensure they continue to deliver high quality assessments.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Recycling

baroness finlay of llandaff: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have undertaken an impact assessment of a refundable deposit scheme for glass bottles, plastic bottles and metal cans; if so, what was the outcome; and at what levels refundable deposits would need to be set to make such a scheme cost-effective.

lord gardiner of kimble: The UK has made progress on our packaging recycling rates, including for drinks containers. Current policies and regulations have seen the recycling rate for packaging waste rise to 60% in 2015, from around 46% in 2005. This Government has not yet undertaken a formal Impact Assessment of a deposit return scheme. However, Defra analysed the costs and benefits of implementing a deposit return system for single use drink containers as part of the 2011 Review of Waste Policy in England, and to seek views in the 2012 consultation on higher packaging recycling targets. From 2 October to 20 November 2017 an independent working group set up under the Litter Strategy for England held a call for evidence on measures to reduce littering of drinks containers and promote recycling. The focus was rigid and flexible plastic, glass or metal drinks containers that are sold sealed, and used for the sale of alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages, often for consumption ‘on-the-go’. This included seeking evidence on the costs, benefits and impacts of deposit and reward and return schemes. The working group is due to provide advice to Ministers on potential incentives for drinks containers in the next couple of months. Any decisions on appropriate measures to take forward will then be made, supported by the development of an impact assessment as necessary.

Fisheries Convention

baroness mcintosh of pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications for inshore fishermen of their decision to withdraw from the London Fisheries Convention of 1962; and whether, in the light of withdrawal from that Convention, inshore fishermen will be able to access the UK cod fishing quota in future.

lord gardiner of kimble: The UK gave notice of its intention to withdraw from the 1964 London Fisheries Convention on 3 July 2017. This is a procedural step to make sure that we are able to control access to UK waters after we leave the EU. Withdrawal from the Convention will make sure that there is a clear and open basis on which to start negotiations on future fisheries agreements. It is estimated that between 2013 and 2015, UK vessels caught between 500-600 tonnes of fish worth between £519,000 and £862,000 in the 6-12nm zone of other Member States. Between 11,000 and 12,000 tonnes of fish per year is caught by non-UK vessels within the UK’s 6-12nm zone with an estimated value of between £16 and £18 million. This estimate is applicable to vessels of 15 metres and over only. There are no estimates for vessels of less than 15 metres. When the UK leaves the EU, we will be an independent Coastal State. We will have rights and obligations under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea to control and manage our territorial waters (0-12nm) and Exclusive Economic Zone (out to 200 nautical miles or the median line with other states). Access to UK waters for non-UK vessels and access for UK vessels to other Coastal States waters will be a matter for negotiation. UK vessels will continue to be able to fish against UK quotas in UK waters.

Food: Imports

the lord bishop of st albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of food consumed in the UK was imported from the EU in (1) 1990, (2) 1995, (3) 2000, (4) 2005, (5) 2010, (6) 2015, and (7) 2017.

lord gardiner of kimble: The proportion of food consumed that was imported from the EU is shown in the table below. Data is not yet available for 2017. The latest figures are for 2016.  Origins of domestic consumption 1990 – 2016  1990199520002005201020152016UK66%62%56%51%51%52%49%EU (a)18%21%23%28%28%29%30% Membership of the EU increased between 2002 and 2013, from 15 to 28 countries. A full time series of data from 1988 and for all world regions is available in the Agriculture section of the UK Chapter 14 data set on the GOV.UK website. Note that the origins of domestic consumption figures are not the same as the production to supply ratio (sometimes referred to as self-sufficiency). In 2016 the UK production to supply ratio for all food was 60%.

Poultry: Campylobacter

baroness jones of whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what stepsthey are taking to address the high levels of campylobacter infection which are resistant to antibiotics in UK chickens.

lord gardiner of kimble: The use of antibiotics is a driver of selection of resistance. Therefore, Defra is working with the livestock industry to implement the sector specific targets published in October 2017 to promote reduction in antibiotic use, while encouraging best husbandry practice and responsible use of antibiotics. The UK meat poultry industry has significantly reduced the use of antibiotics including those of critical importance to public health; the British Poultry Council, representing 90% of the meat poultry industry, reported a 72% reduction in the use of fluoroquinolones between 2012 and 2016. The Government monitors resistance levels in Campylobacter in meat poultry at slaughter. Latest results show very low resistance levels to Erythromycin, an antibiotic considered to be a last resort for the treatment of Campylobacter infections in people, and low levels of multidrug resistance.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Empty Property

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the total number of empty dwellings in England; how many of those dwellings are owned by (1) housing associations, (2) local authorities, and (3) private owners; and what steps are being taken to bring structurally sound dwellings back into use.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Statistics on vacant dwellings in England, are published in the Department’s live table 615 (attached) which is available at the following link. This table shows the annual totals of all empty homes, those vacant longer than six months and of vacant dwellings in the local authority, housing association and other public sector tenures.https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-dwelling-stock-including-vacantsThe number of long term empty homes is substantially lower than when records began. Long-term empty homes are those dwellings which have been unoccupied and substantially unfurnished for over six months. In October 2009, there were 316,251 long term homes in England and this had fallen to 200,145 by October 2016.Figures are not directly comparable for Private Registered Providers (Housing Association) and local authority dwellings. Figures for March 2016, show there were 11,482 long term vacant Private Registered Providers dwellings and 22,928 local authority dwellings (long and short term).As to steps being taken to bring structurally sound dwellings back to use, I refer to my answer to PQ 3618283/ UIN HL4471.



Live table 615
(Excel SpreadSheet, 2.71 MB)

Wales Office

Devolution: Wales

lord temple-morris: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are considering further devolution of powers to the Welsh Assembly; and if so, what.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Wales Act 2017 devolves further powers to the National Assembly for Wales and the Welsh Government in areas such the environment, transport and elections. Most of these new powers will come into force on 1 April. In addition, the UK Government is in discussions with the Welsh Government on where powers should best sit following EU exit and where common frameworks will need to be maintained. The Government expects the outcome of this work will lead to a significant increase in the decision making powers of the National Assembly for Wales.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Migrant Workers: EU Nationals

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made on the UK’s reliance on EU workers, and the effects of Brexit on industries that rely on these workers.

lord callanan: We have been clear that following our exit from the EU, we will continue to welcome those with the skills, drive and expertise to make a positive contribution. We are also committed to avoiding labour shortages in key sectors. The Government has commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to gather evidence on patterns of EU migration and the role of migration in the wider economy, ahead of our exit from the EU. The MAC will build on the significant analysis already underway in government, but we want the MAC’s credible, independent advice to inform our decisions on our future immigration arrangements. The MAC commission provide a clear channel for business and other employers to express their views, and their findings will be used to inform decisions about the post EU exit immigration arrangements.

Brexit

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to safeguard businesses from the possibility of a "no deal" Brexit; and what is their assessment of the survey by the manufacturers' organisation EEF that only about one in three manufacturers have contingency plans for such an event.

lord callanan: The Government is engaging with businesses in order to understand the challenges and opportunities as we leave the European Union. We understand the importance of clarity for the business community, and are working with a wide range of organisations including EEF to get the right deal for industry and ensure the UK remains the best possible place to do business.

Department for International Trade

Iron and Steel: Dumping

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have received from representatives of the UK steel industry that the Taxation (Cross Border Trade) Bill might not provide sufficient future protection against unfair "dumping" of goods from other nations; and what action they are taking in response.

baroness fairhead: The Department has engaged extensively with business organisations, including the UK steel industry, and has incorporated a wide range of business viewpoints in developing the UK trade remedies framework set out in the Taxation (Cross-Border Trade) and Trade Bills.The Government’s first priority is to ensure that UK industries have the protections they need if they suffer injury. That is why the trade remedies provisions will provide real and robust protections to UK industries suffering injury. In order to ensure as much continuity as possible, the Department has also issued a call for evidence, to identify and maintain existing EU trade remedy measures which matter to UK businesses.There are differing opinions between individual businesses within the steel industry on remedies and trade defence measures.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Tourism: Marketing

lord porter of spalding: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to market English tourist destinations in 2018.

lord ashton of hyde: VisitBritain and VisitEngland promote England both domestically and abroad. In 2018, they have two main campaigns: “Join The World, Discover the UK” (in partnership with VisitScotland and VisitWales) promoting the UK domestically and “I Travel For”, a global campaign promoting English destinations. Ongoing work includes the English Gateways partnership with regional airports, a partnership with Expedia featuring English destinations, promoting England through English Tourism Week and supporting the Great Exhibition of the North. The three year £40m Discover England Fund is also developing a range of products promoting English destinations to markets abroad. Projects include support for the South West Coastal Path (in Somerset, Devon and Cornwall) and the Coastal Pass (which runs along the East Coast of England).

The Senior Deputy Speaker

Palace of Westminster: Repairs and Maintenance

lord norton of louth: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what is the estimated earliest date by which both Houses of Parliament could decant the Palace of Westminster in the event of a decision so to do for the purposes of the restoration and renewal of the Palace; and what is the estimated cost to the public purse for the repair and maintenance of the Palace in the period between now and both Houses decanting.

lord mcfall of alcluith: Neither House has yet considered the recommendation of the Report of the Joint Committee on the Palace of Westminster (House of Lords Paper No. 41, HC 659, Session 2016–17), published in September 2016, that both Houses should leave the Palace temporarily while the essential restoration and renewal work is carried out. The future schedule for the Restoration & Renewal Programme will depend largely on when both Houses take a decision on the preferred delivery option, and on what that decision is. If both Houses accept the Joint Committee’s recommendation, then it will be necessary to acquire, design and fit out temporary accommodation, and to complete the refurbishment of the House of Commons Northern Estate, before decant can take place. There will also be several years of design work, including consultation with Members of both Houses and more widely, which will be followed by a procurement phase for the works. The Joint Committee recommended the establishment, by statute, of an independent Sponsor Board and Delivery Authority to deliver the Programme. Assuming that a decision on the future direction of the Programme can be taken soon, we expect that this work could be completed in time for decant to take place in 2025.The forecast cost of repair and maintenance of the Palace of Westminster from 2017/18 to 2021/22, the end of the current Medium Term Investment Plan period, is set out in the table below. This includes both planned preventative and reactive maintenance, and current and planned Strategic Estates projects, including a further round of mechanical and electrical engineering work intended to keep the building habitable until 2025.  2017/182018/192019/202020/212021/22Planned preventative & reactive maintenance£10,950,421£10,906,124£11,044,424£11,366,324£10,969,424Current & planned Strategic Estates projects£82,423,288£106,455,026£98,110,475£35,684,761£25,058,596Medium-term mechanical and electrical works–£801,903£3,494,211£18,301,903£18,301,903Total£93,373,709£118,163,052£112,649,110£65,352,988£54,329,923 Costs include VAT and optimism bias where appropriate, but no allowance has been made for inflation. There is not yet a reliable forecast for routine maintenance beyond the end of the current Medium Term Investment Plan period in 2021/22. It is possible that reactive maintenance costs may rise in future as the condition of the Palace continues to deteriorate.It is assumed that, as the start date for the Restoration & Renewal Programme approaches, wherever possible, work which can be deferred until the Programme starts will be.

Parliament: Broadcasting

lord campbell-savours: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker,  further to the Written Answer by the Senior Deputy Speaker on 19 July 2017 (HL599) concerning the resource costs of £1,104K to the House of Lords for Parliamentary Broadcasting, what amount of that sum, if any, is provided to the BBC.

lord mcfall of alcluith: None of the recharged resource costs referred to in HL599 is provided to the BBC.

Parliament: Broadcasting

lord campbell-savours: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker,  further to the Written Answer by the Senior Deputy Speaker on 19 July 2017 (HL599) concerning the resource costs of £1,104K to the House of Lords for Parliamentary Broadcasting, what proportion of the total cost of the shared service that sum represents.

lord mcfall of alcluith: The £1,104k represents 40% of the total Parliamentary Broadcasting Unit spend, excluding depreciation. This is in line with the agreed 40:60 split of broadcasting costs between the House of Lords and the House of Commons.

Women and Equalities

UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women

baroness jones of moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will nominate a candidate to the UN Committee for Ending Discrimination Against Women.

baroness williams of trafford: The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women is composed of 23 members. There will be an election later this year to replace 12 of these members, whose terms of office expire on 31 December 2018. The Government is not currently planning to make nominations for this Committee.